18Jun

00:0000:00

First EVER VO Marketing Roundtable

0:00:00 Intro starts.

0:01:56 Dan does the introductions. Ann Ganguzza from Irvine, Calif.; Debbie Grattan and Paul Rarick, from Michigan; Doug Turkel from Miami, Fla.; John Melley from New Jersey: Kelley Buttrick from Atlanta.

0:04:19 Tonight’s about VO marketing. Dan asks how marketing has changed in the last decade.

0:04:51 Ann says her use of online marketing has increased. The internet has let her see others market and develop her own plan. Her background is in technology.

0:05:49 Debbie and Paul reply. When she began, other people did the technical stuff. Now she and Paul where all the hats. Having a partner allows him to market and her to do voice work. Often if you’re by yourself, you exhaust yourself.

0:07:17 Paul does the crap Debbie doesn’t want to do. They didn’t do much marketing for a long time and then when there was a big rush of VO talent into the business, they began.

0:08:07 Dan turns to Doug. Doug need to differentiate himself. He’s got an everyman voice, not the deep booming sound. He evolved to the “un-nouncer” describing what he sounds like that he’s been able to use for different situations.

0:10:02 Kelley has a journalism/public relations background. Her marketing is very research and relationship oriented, on a very individual basis.

0:11:02 George, caught mouth breathing, gets asked about how he markets. His challenge is that when he does his job well, he won’t hear from his clients again! He speaks to 5 to 10 new people per week. That’s why he joined Edge Studio to get support for marketing.

0:13:42 Dan asks what types of marketing are available.

0:14:06 Debbie said her approach is “if you build it they will come,” at her website and then work on the SEO. She uses keywords, YouTube, and a blog. She doesn’t like cold-calling. She prefers feeling good about what you’re doing. There are people who love cold calling. Find whats a good fit for you. You could spend all your time marketing and have no time for work.

0:18:02 Debbie tries to be very responsive to potential clients.

0:18:32 Anne weighs in. She schedules Twitter tweets. She wants to “drive the traffic” from social media to your website. She tries to engage and interact on social media so people get to know her. It takes time.

0:19:56 Dan asks Doug if he thinks it’s essential to drive people to your website for demos or is it something else? Answer: It depends. The market you’re going after might expect to hear from you in different ways. Most will still come from your website. It should build trust with your clients before they ever work with you. He has a lot of nice things clients have said on his site. You either sound like what a client wants or you don’t but your site will reinforce you.

0:22:32 Kelley has people who work on her SEO for her. She says the first thing she does is find out about a client. She finds people who might hire her and then researches them in detail. She’ll then send a “warm” email with her talking about the client before she talks about what she can do.

0:24:24 Kelley talks about “thoughtful appreciation.” What can she do for someone who does something helpful. She has sent items that people like and want as thank-you gifts.

0:25:22 Dan asks who does their websites. Anne does her own, Paul has done Debbie’s but also gotten outside help. Doug urges people to take pay-to-play sites off their websites. Why direct clients to those sites?

0:26:57 George describes his experience with websites.

0:28:32 Dan uses others to make his sites, but he wants to be able to change and update, to have control.

0:29:22 The group chimes in about the issue of not having website control. George says make sure you have a site you can manage.

0:30:09 Kelley writes her own content. She has an SEO plan. She wants the site to read well, and the SEO wants it to say things a certain way.

0:34:12 Doug says it depends—that Dan’s mustache is memorable, for example. Doug took a stack of scripts he’d been hired for. He compiled the specs into one document. He looked for the common feature—everyday guy, not an announcer, and so on, stood out. That led to “un-nouncer.” Your booked jobs will give you a peek into your clients’ minds. What they think of you is more important than what you think of yourself.

0:36:47 Doug says another possibility is ask the clients for a word or a paragraph about what they think of your performance. Doug took “Doug gets it” into “Doug understands so you can be understood.”

0:38:09 Anne talks about personal branding. She agrees with Doug that it’s difficult to do this yourself. Everything she posts has a conscious choice to reinforce the brand.

0:39:52 Debbie says when she’s reading social media by VO talent, they’re targeting other VO professionals, not potential clients. Look for ways to serve your clients. Make their job easier.

0:42:20 Kelley says there are subtle ways to brand. She’ll send gifts from her town (Athens, Ga.).

0:44:14 Doug points out that all this assumes you’re good enough at VO that you book work.

0:45:22 Dan asks about the idea of “niche.” Do you find your niche or does it find you? Doug says it’s semantics and it can happen either way.

0:46:32 You can’t force a niche. It’s something you know a lot about or have a passion for. He says it’s important that you specify what you do and what you’re good at.

0:48:36 Dan asks, what about marketing to agents? Don’t you have to make lots of money already? Debbie says it depends on the market the agent is in. Small market agents might well take you on. Much of the work doesn’t require an agent.

0:51:47 George asks questions from the chat room. Kelley fell out of the Google Hangout; bandwidth issue.

0:52:31 Q: how do you create a blog that isn’t just white noise. How much is too much? A: Paul says he’s focused on the SEO side of this. He looks at search results. They blog 3-4 times a month. The challenge is finding something clients want to read. Debbie uses actual events that inspire her to share them. She started blogging as an SEO avenue rather than to share knowledge.

0:55:26 Anne agrees. For SEO, the more you can have fresh content, the better. Content is king. Write what you have to share, with search terms. That establishes your expertise. Gear your content to people who will hire you.

0:56:37 Doug adds—if you can be the expert in a specific area of VO, then you can become the go-to person. That also makes it easier to write blogs or whatever.

Look for the term “responsive” to be sure mobil users can easily see your stuff.

0:59:24 Q With social media and online networking, is snail mail still viable or a waste of time? A: Anne says there’s a place for the handwritten note. You’ve take the time…and it’s noticed.

Debbie says the key is building client loyalty. Snail mail has a place and a big one just because it’s more unusual. Find ways to authentically make nice or friends with a client. Make it personally yours.

1:02:02 “Gifts?” says Dan. And George asks if giving branded marketing items as gifts is “distasteful.”

1:02:45 Deb says it depends on what you’re doing. If you’re sending a blanket marketing contact, then it could work. Another option: Paul will send a request for a review after invoicing. They hold a drawing every month for a $50 VISA gift card for those who reply.

1:06:58 Kelley speaks on the whole subject of gifting. She got advice—don’t give holiday gifts. They get lost in the shuffle and you’ll be expected to give every year. There’s a difference between promotional and gifting. There’s a place for both. Think before you “gift.” Keep the two distinct. They’re for different purposes.

1:08:02 Q What’s a branding post? A Branding post is about a show you like that shows your interest. If you do this enough, you’ll be known for that brand.

1:09:57 George asks John Melley if he has a “silver bullet” for marketing…but he’s gone…

1:10:26 Q If you have a website, can you buy additional domain names for the same site? A: Doug—talk to an SEO person. Yes, you can buy domain names and point them to an existing site. You can’t have multiple names for one site. You can also put content on those additional sites. You can link to your main site.

1:12:05 Dan comments that someone owns voiceactor.com, but won’t respond. There are people who buy domain names and sell them. George said he had multiple names and it became too hard to meld them into a brand.

1:13:52 Kelley adds that if you have a common name, you may also want to buy that domain, too. If your name is googled, you want YOU to come up.

1:14:25 Debbie was told multiple pages, with each “optimized” can increase your SEO. Paul says the more pages you have, the more opportunity for SEO.

1:15:28 Anne says there’s power to advertising yourself as a regional talent. A couple of local terms can help you.

1:16:41 Q: With social media and online marketing. Is snail mail a good marketing tool? A: Anne says there is a place for them. Anne sends New Year’s cards.

1:17:45 Dan sends his biggest clients fruit baskets.

1:18:14 Debbie says the key thing is touching your clients in a variety of ways and consistently. Find ways that put a personal spin on it.

1:19:47 Doug — be aware of your market. If no one else is sending cards, do it. If all the VO talent is doing it, don’t.

1:20:37 Dan asks for everyone to give one final point, plus a link of their choice.

1:24:27 Doug. Do everything you can to create your own opportunities. Be so good at what you do so they can’t ignore you. “You can’t work for those you want to work for but don’t any less than you already do.” His sites: http://voiceovertalent.com/ and http://unnouncer.com/

10Jun

00:0000:00

Streamed live on Jun 9, 2014

Show LogEpisode 146, June 9, 2014

Guest: Kristen Thorne, Edge Studio Director of ProductionGeorge talks about using iPads and Android tablets for recordingDan’s Tip of the Week will be about audio quality in the personal, professional studio

0:00:00 The show starts right from the top. Technical problem: can’t run the spots as usual. George is in NYC at Edge Studio.

0:03:14 Dan rants on bad audio. He and George have heard a lot of bad audio lately. Dan reviews the basics: 0:04:15 Acoustics. If they aren’t right, your gear can’t fix it. There has to be minimal observable room reaction. Many don’t hear room reflection.

0:05:40 Base reflex. This comes from being in too small a room or under a shelf. Never mind “sound proofing.” Go into your closet and make it acoustically neutral.

0:07:20 Mic technique. Dan has heard a lot of exploding p’s. The mic should be above, the copy below. Some get too close to their mics. You should be 7-12 inches away from your mic (the hang-10 finger routine). Headphone leakage, buzzing, noise floor are all issues Dan is hearing. Dan has a dropbox athttp://www.homevoiceoverstudio.com/

0:41:12 Question: are you using ipDTL and other remote capability? Mostly they use SourceConnect. There are some growing pains which is why George is there this week.

0:42:48 Question: what is the n umber one thing a talent must have to work with Edge? Answer: Great demo gets you in the door. Location is next. Are you close to an Edge facility or does your personal studio produce professional quality.

0:45:20 Question: Can I record my demo at Fairfield, Conn., Edge studio or do I have to come to NYC? George and Kristen talk about if remote recording demos is possible. George says that Edge will eventually have a SourceConnectNow link to allow talent to provide audio.

0:48:35 Can you record auditions at Edge? Yes, it’s billed at 15-min. increments and you can hire a booth director. They offer “checkup” sessions for $27 where you can have Edge listen to your audition.

0:50:18 How often do you hire Edge students from the “Fresh Voices” library? Clients hire, Edge just submits from their talent roster. Kristen describes the process.

0:53:20 Is there an Edge Studio in the South? They have some relationships in Atlanta, but nothing definite yet. George talked about commercial studio quality sometimes being poor compared to personal studios.

0:55:40 George now attempts a tour of Edge Studio’s facility via MacBook Air.

0:03:40 George talks about your equipment—is it still costing you money? Pro Tools is the example. People stick with what they have because they paid for it and spent 3 years making it work…only they’re using it poorly! Is there a point when you need to revamp and work more efficiently. Your equipment and products might be perfectly good; but how productive are you? In ProTools, some folks “bounce” their audio in real time, for example. A fast workflow is key in this business. Sometimes a little training can improve your workflow.

0:07:28 Also, people end up settling on mic’s that can be the most expensive. Sometimes the least expensive mic can be the best for your voice. Why keep 4-5 extra microphones? Hold a “shoot out” of your mic and keep the best two.

0:09:18 Another way you’re wasting your money is by sending out lousy sounding auditions. Raw files aren’t good enough anymore. Send auditions in at the quality of the final product. Some processing is needed. Your “RMS” or volume should not be lower than the rest. Louder things can be perceived as better.

0:11:28 One more thing: losing out on jobs on sound quality problems you aren’t aware of! Pervasive sounds you may not notice will cost you work. So, look for an objective review of your sound.

0:12:50 Dan joins in the discussion. Hissing and hums mean your audition won’t make it past the slate. Expensive equipment that you don’t know how to use will just show how much you don’t know. Juan Carlos Bagnall said he judges equipment and recording quality in the first few seconds.

0:14:50 Break

0:16:52 They’re back. Dan has lots of Studio Suit! Come on down.

0:18:16 Audio question from Trevor Jones. He wants more toys. Is there any point to aspiring to better gear? He’d also like to get out of the closet into a booth. Will his sound get better? Should he sell his Sony 75-6’s to an unsuspecting victim?

0:20:30 Dan on aspiring to more expensive equipment. Get good stuff, learn how to use it, but the higher the quality of the equipment the more the quality of your recording space is important.

0:21:15 Does moving to a bigger space improve quality? George thinks anything smaller than 5’ x 8’ if it’s tuned acoustically, it makes no difference. You can get better quality in a larger room.

0:22:36 About headphones—absolutely a personal preference. If you like the sound of your headphones, go for it.

0:23:25 Tip of the Week—the EWABS clickers, a step beyond.

0:23:58 It begins. We all make mistakes, so be good at editing. Use sound codes, like a clicker, to mark your waveform.

0:24:50 One way is with a mouth pop. Another a beep you make, and a third is your clicker. Each can mean a different problem.

0:25:32 Dan records and shows how it’s done.

0:26:41 He can now edit visually. Dan uses the clicker to show the start of a slide, followed by the slide number. He then pastes over a copied piece of audio file with a marker, with the required time for the start and end of each slide. Dan uses pop sounds for mistakes and then more quickly delete the mistakes. He demonstrates. Dan names the markers as required.

0:29:25 You create a code for yourself to speed up your process.

0:30:38 Break

0:32:24 They’re back with Joe Loesch, producer and voice actor.

0:33:05 Joe recounts how he got into the biz starting in the 70s. Robert Redford inspired him. Joe’s career spans the days from tape editing to now.

0:37:00 Luck favors the prepared.

0:37:30 Joe now teaches in Nashville. He also teaches “Booth Camp” for John Florian’s “Voice-Over Xtra.”

0:38:56 Dan asks Joe his view of how the business has changed in the last 30 years.

0:41:37 Joe has written stories and other books for kids.

0:42:50 Joe has expertise in demos. He talks about how he got into making demos.

0:45:20 Dan asks what goes into making a demo. Joe says a lot of training. In this market your demo is your calling card.

0:51:00 They’re back for a quick tour of Joe Loesch’s studio. He describes the sound deadening in his space.

0:53:15 George asks Joe how his air system works. Joe describes it. He coils the flexible duct so that the air arrives silently.

0:54:13 JS Gilbert asks what the biggest challenge is now in VO compared to 10 years ago. Joe is just enjoying life.

0:55:29 Steve Tardio asks about Joe doing animation in Nashville, not L.A.? He tells the story.

0:56:06 Is most of your work from local connections, LA or NYC or elsewhere? Joe has a lot of friends in the business. He gets work through word-of-mouth.

0:57:18 Would you advice acting lessons for animation? Joe replied, “Absolutely,” and goes on to explain. Improv is great for voice actors.

0:58:11 Do you coach over Skype and what genres do you teach?

0:58:58 What percentage of time do you spend preparing compared to other audiobook tasks? Joe figures it should be 3:1.

0:59:34 To slate or not to slate? Joe always slates.

1:00:10 Do you use ISDN? Joe sees it going away. He doesn’t use it or need it.

1:01:00 George asks Joe as producer if he likes live sessions or for the talent to just send a file. Joe like getting the file. Dan says that makes making your auditions ready for use, to show the quality of your recording.

1:02:02 What do you to warm up? Joe uses tongue twisters. “She stood in the doorway of Burgess’s Fish Store Shop inexplicably mimicking him and welcoming him in.”

1:04:49 When you send a demo to an ad agency or production house, should you include extra material or just a short note? Joe says short note—no bio, no headshot. What matters is your demo. Don’t ask them to look at more stuff.

1:03:38 What mic do you use: Neumann U87 in the booth and an Avlex 79 outside the studio.

1:05:05 George asks about his advocacy of slightly produced auditions, and what Joe thinks about that? All Joe does in normalize because time is of the essence with auditions.

1:06:42 George asks if Joe does any front-end processing. He uses MBox and wants to look at FocusRite.

1:07:30 Joe asks if George and Dan will be at Voice2014 in August in Anaheim. Yes, both.

1:08:56 How does Joe avoid the “sore throat syndrome.” He works out and washes his hands.

1:09:23 What do you recommend for mouth noise and clicks? Lubricate, drink water. Eat green apple and chew thoroughly before swallowing.